


By Means of Bodies Unseen

by VerdiWithin



Series: Talisman [42]
Category: Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: Betrayal, Brief Graphic Violence, Developing Relationship, Explicit Sex, F/M, Family Drama, Friendship, Idiots in Love, Mutilation, Power Exchange, Rebellion, Treachery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:55:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23374273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VerdiWithin/pseuds/VerdiWithin
Summary: Hades is preparing to propose to Persephone.
Relationships: Hades/Persephone (Lore Olympus)
Series: Talisman [42]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1497371
Comments: 41
Kudos: 213





	By Means of Bodies Unseen

**Author's Note:**

> Previously in this series: 
> 
> Kronos was freed from his chains in Tartarus by Thanatos, who subsequently escaped. Hades defeated his father, with Persephone’s help, and was severely injured. Demeter discovered Persephone and Hades in bed together and later sent a letter to Persephone accusing Hades of sexual coercion, and promising to rescue Persephone. Psyche is immortal now, and engaged to Eros.

I figure after stopping a new incursion of the Titans, Persephone and I deserve the indulgence of sleeping in for one morning, but my brother has other ideas. Of _course_. My phone buzzes right when we’re dozing off for a nap after having enjoyed breakfast, and then each other.

“Just ignore it,” Persephone murmurs, husky-voiced. 

“I wish I could.” I hit the _Answer_ button. “What?”

“Oh, good, you’re awake,” chirps Zeus. “All recovered, then?”

“Yes, I’m fine. What do you want?”

“I thought we should talk about what happened, and the implications. You free for lunch today?”

I sigh. He’s right that we should discuss it. “Yeah, I can do that.”

“Great! So, when are you settling things with Persephone? Because that girl is practically your queen already.”

I look over at her, blinking sleepily at me, naked and lovely, lying on her belly with her head resting on her folded arms. There are tiny blue flowers in her hair, spilling down her neck, and I reach out to brush one from her cheek. She smiles gently at me.

“Listen,” I say into the phone. “I appreciate your help yesterday, and I agree that we need to talk. But about anything else, and I say this with all sincerity: fuck off.”

I can practically see his undeterred grin. “Uh huh. Bring her along for lunch. She’s earned a place at the table, don’t you think?”

“Fine. I’m hanging up now.”

I put down the phone and roll over, settling with my arms on either side of Persephone, and begin kissing along her spine. She looks over her shoulder at me. 

“What did he want?” 

The throaty, intimate tone of her voice stirs me in ways I never imagined possible. I want to stay in bed with Persephone all day. Forever, even.

“To annoy me.”

“That’s a given. What else?”

I pause right between her dimples and smile up at her. “He wants to have lunch today, and talk about what happened. Are you available, or do you have a vital previous engagement?”

Persephone snorts and raises up on her elbows. “That wouldn’t actually work, would it?”

“Mmm, it might. He’d take the opportunity to needle me mercilessly.”

“Oh, well, we can’t have that.” She rolls in my arms and sits up for a moment to kiss me. “I guess that means we have to get up soon.”

“Soon, yes. But not yet.”

The sound of Persephone’s delighted laugh captivates me as I move lower, until my ears are muffled by the firm clasp of her thighs.

***

Persephone looks stunning today. She’s always beautiful, but when she pulls out the stops, she’s absolutely breathtaking. The dress she puts on is starkly simple: white, closely-fitted, with its top part cut like an elbow-length cape. She puts her hair into braids, winding them around her head before pinning them into place, then starts looking through her jewelry box.

“You should wear your badge,” I comment.

“I should?” 

She looks startled, and I smile. As far as I recall, she hasn’t worn her pomegranate medal except on a couple of official occasions.

“Definitely. If you weren’t already a Hero of the Underworld, you would be now.”

She smiles, and doesn’t meet my eye, but I think she’s pleased. I finish knotting my tie and cross over to her. I stand behind her, touching her back lightly, and watch while she pins the badge to her shoulder. It’s a dramatic piece, six cabochon rubies set with diamonds in platinum and gold. It suits Persephone very well. She smooths her dress, and inspects herself in the mirror, then turns to me. 

I smile down at her, stroking my fingers under her chin. “Ready to face the world again?”

“Not quite. I need shoes.”

I look down at her feet and she wiggles her toes at me. “Can I pick?”

She makes a skeptical face, playing at considering my request. “Well… okay.”

I look over the shoe rack as if I need time to choose, but I actually know exactly which pair I want. My favorites, the ones with the ankle straps. I take them out and Persephone nods approval. I drop to my knees and set them down in front of her. She steps into the shoes, holding onto my shoulders for balance, and stands still while I pull the buckles tight. 

When that’s done I look up at her, ready for some teasing, but that’s not what I get. Persephone cups my face with both her hands, looking into my eyes. Her own eyes are gently crinkled, knowing, and her lips are curved in a tiny smile. She kisses me delicately and her tongue steals out to stroke my bottom lip.

She continues to hold my head still as she deepens our kiss, slow and sweet. I let my hands rise up under her cape, touching her bare arms, teasing with my fingertips until she shivers. Persephone pulls back from my lips, looking at me, and I slide one hand down her back to cup her lovely round ass. She hisses softly, and takes a step forward, her feet on either side of my thighs. Her pelvis bumps against my chest, and she smiles at me.

“We’re going to be late for lunch,” I observe.

“I don’t care. Do you?”

I shake my head. I don’t. Not at all.

***

In the end, we’re barely late, just enough to annoy Zeus and let him know that I don’t appreciate his bossiness. We arrive at the restaurant to find my brothers having cocktails, sitting together on one long side of a rectangular table and leaving the other side free for us. They stand up when they see us coming, and greet Persephone before me. 

I’m quietly pleased to see them both treating her with affection and respect. She has more than earned it. She accepts cheek kisses from each of them, and a certain amount of chaff about yesterday that makes her smile. It’s pretty weird hearing the three of them discuss events that occurred when I was unconscious. 

We all sit down and look at our menus. I recall the last time the four of us sat together at lunch, when Persephone was so upset with me she could barely meet my eyes, and she spent the whole meal setting Zeus up to walk into her trap. The clever little minx. I note with satisfaction that this restaurant has numerous vegetarian options to choose from, much better than last time. Although, by this point, Persephone has gained enough confidence that she would probably just get the waitstaff to agree to make something for her specially.

This picture pleases me. Persephone is learning to be assertive, without losing her charm and kindness. We place our orders, and I wait for my brothers’ assessment of yesterday’s events, but they’re not the first to speak.

“So can I ask, is that how the Code Red thing is supposed to work?” Persephone says. “It seems like it took an awfully long time for you to arrive.”

“There’s no transferring in or out of Tartarus,” I point out. “That really slows things down.”

“Yeah, but that’s the thing!” Zeus says. “We couldn’t transfer into the Underworld at all! We had to get in my car and drive like hell, and that took ages.”

Persephone and I exchange a glance. “Right,” I say. “Sorry about that. I tightened restrictions a while ago, so Demeter couldn’t pop in by surprise.”

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense,” Poseidon says.

“I’ll fix it, so you two are on the list.”

“So, Persephone, what were you saying about Thanatos yesterday?” Zeus asks.

I set down my wine glass, surprised, and turn to listen to her.

“I ran into him down there, along with another conspirator, Triamus.” She glances at me, and gives me a little nod. “They were running away just before Kronos appeared.”

“So you think they’re the ones that set him free?” Zeus asks.

“Certainly the coincidence is suggestive. Anyway, Chief Agenis said that there was a breakout from a secondary exit and they got free.”

I’m chilled through. “A breakout from Tartarus?” I grit my teeth, and resist the dark storm that wants to steal over me. 

Persephone nods, and moves her hand under the table to squeeze my thigh. “I sent the Furies after them.”

Well. I would have done the same, and Thanatos isn’t smart enough to evade them for long. I suppose everything necessary has already been done.

“Speaking of whom,” Zeus says. “That means that there’s nobody interrogating Thetis just now?”

“That’s correct. I checked with Hecate, though, to make sure she’s still secured,” Persephone says.

Zeus nods, accepting her statement.

“We went back to Tartarus yesterday,” Poseidon says, looking at me. “You just about lopped the old bastard’s head right off, did you know?”

I shake my head. I don’t remember much after driving my bident into his neck, except pain. 

“Well, we finished the job. And dismembered the rest, and distributed the pieces around different sides of the fire lake. He won’t be walking around anytime soon.” His voice rings with fierce gratification.

Of course, this is the moment when our food arrives, set in front of us by the attentive waitstaff. All of us stare at our plates for a long moment, faintly nauseated by the lingering mental picture. Persephone acts first, picking up her fork and fixing a smile on her face. 

“Anyone have interesting plans for the weekend?” she asks brightly.

***

When we sit down for our regular daily status meeting, there’s a lot to discuss. Hecate has a whole run-down of what happened yesterday in terms of the security failures.

“Agenis has identified two employees who are unaccounted for at this time. It seems most likely that they helped Thanatos and Triamus to escape, and fled with them.”

“How is that possible?” I snarl. “I thought after Vathia we looked carefully at everyone in security. Do you think Agenis is in on this?”

“I doubt it. He’s devastated, and he’s been here for centuries,” Hecate says. “I think he’s a man who takes real pride in his work, and my guess is if we set him loose he won’t rest until he finds these guys.”

I growl in frustration. “Maybe. I’ll consider it.”

“Are there any reports about where they went afterward?” Persephone asks.

“No. You two probably weren’t aware, but when Kronos broke out all the alarms went off, and the entire city went on lockdown. So there weren’t any witnesses to the escape. Best guess is they fled the Underworld as fast as possible. Probably going to the other exiled conspirators.”

“Dammit. I should have sent them _all_ to Tartarus!”

Hecate shrugs. “It was a balancing act. They accused you of being tyrannical, so you showed mercy. Yesterday’s events don’t make that wrong.”

“So… not to change the subject, but did you get anywhere with your visit to my mother?” Persephone asks.

I had completely forgotten that Hecate was visiting Demeter. I let my anger go, and listen attentively.

“No, unfortunately. She kept me waiting for a while, and then sent some underlings to tell me that she was too busy. Just as I was leaving I got the alert about the breakout.”

“Oh,” Persephone says. “I’m sorry for the waste of your time. Thank you for trying.”

“That’s all right, honey. It was the right move.”

“Anything else, Hecate?” I ask.

“Well, you two missed the crisis center opening last night. But the good news is, you were well represented. Hera and Zeus attended, with Poseidon and Amphitrite as well.”

“I talked with the director already,” Persephone says. “She suggests if we want to pay an impromptu visit later today, that might go over well.”

“Of course, we can do that.” I’m pleased to do whatever I can to help. Not only is this project going to help a lot of people, it’s important to Persephone.

***

In the afternoon I have a lengthy conversation with an architect I’ve used in the past about possible house renovations. I’ve just wound that up when Epimelis buzzes me. “Sir, I have the Goddess of Anger here?” 

Goddess of Anger... Oh, Bia? What’s she doing here? It must have something to do with Thanatos. “Send her in, and please ask Persephone if she can come up, as well.”

Two goddesses ascend my stairs and I stand to greet them. One is Bia, a red-brown goddess and Thanatos’s former lover. I cross paths with her every once in a while. The other is a pale, slight girl in her early teens. I remember her; she was one of the other performers at Hebe’s piano recital a few weeks ago.

“Hello, Hades,” says Bia, sounding tired and resigned. “Thank you for seeing us.”

“You are both welcome here, Bia.”

“And this is my daughter, Achlys.”

“I’m pleased to meet you.” 

The girl glances up at me for just a moment, and murmurs some words I don’t catch. 

“Morpheus wanted to come too, but you know how it is with him,” Bia continues.

“Yes. I did receive his email today, and read it.” I appreciate Morpheus’s tact in staying away, since he puts me right to sleep. I gesture for my guests to take a seat.

Bia nods sadly as she sits on a couch. “He’s rather devastated. He was convinced he was following some trail of evidence that might prove Thanatos had good motivations behind his actions, but yesterday seems to indicate otherwise.”

There’s a tapping on my stairs, and I turn to see Persephone entering. “Hello, Bia, I’m glad to see you again,” she says, coming over to the seating area to join us. “And you must be Achlys? I heard you play piano. You’re very good.”

The young girl gives Persephone a quick, shy smile. “Thank you,” she says.

“I’m sure you both must be feeling so disappointed today,” my beloved goes on. I breathe a soft sigh of relief. She’s so good at this empathizing-with-people thing. It is very much not my wheelhouse.

The two guests are both nodding. “Yes, exactly,” says Bia. “We had held onto some optimism, that he might turn out to have good reasons. Or that he might reform and fix his ways.”

Achlys looks away, her expression shutting down. “I don’t know why my dad would do this!” she bursts out. “I thought he was a good person.” 

We’re all stunned for a few moments, not looking at one another, thinking our own thoughts. I feel an idea building in me and I give it voice without analyzing it.

“I know what it’s like to have a disappointing father,” I say.

All three goddesses turn to look at me, wide-eyed. Persephone reaches out and takes my hand.

“It isn’t easy, realizing that you come from someone who could act like that. It hurts, thinking that other people judge you because of his actions.”

“Yeah,” Achlys says, nodding. “And everybody looks at you funny.”

I laugh. “That they do.”

“Do they ever get over it?”

“Well. Yes and no. Some of them never get over it, but for the most part, once you start accomplishing things on your own, that’s what people will see.”

“Some people _never_ get over it?” Achlys demands, her horror plain to see.

“Yeah. And you have to thicken your skin. Just remember, you are _you,_ and what he did wasn’t your fault. Some people are gonna be assholes, that’s just how they are.” I glance at Bia. “Um, sorry.”

Bia is smiling slightly. “We came here to offer our apologies to you, for our association with him. I didn’t expect to receive comforting advice.”

Persephone looks pleased, and squeezes my hand. I’m a little uncomfortable. I’m just speaking the truth. “I’m the last person to think that a criminal’s actions tarnish his whole family. If you’re worried about your job, or persecution or something, please don’t. And tell Morpheus the same.”

Bia and her daughter exchange a look. I think they’re relieved. “Well, thank you,” Bia says, standing up. “We won’t take any more of your time.”

After they go, Persephone curls into my lap, slipping her hands under my suit jacket. “That was very kind, what you said to them.”

I shrug. “The truth is, many people will judge them, some on purpose, and some without even thinking. I don’t want to be one of them. I have to do a lot of judging, but that doesn’t mean I should do it all the time.”

She shakes her head, suppressing a grin. “Would it kill you to just admit that you were being nice? There’s nothing wrong with that.”

I automatically start to protest, and then stop upon seeing Persephone’s amusement. She’s right. There’s nothing wrong with it. _She’s_ nice, and I adore her for it. “Yeah, okay, you got me,” I admit. “Have mercy, little goddess. This is all new to me and I need practice.”

***

The whole rest of the week, I’m caught between two conflicting desires. On the one hand, I want to have Persephone with me constantly, both for the purpose of enjoying her company and so I can show her everything about the Underworld--all the things she has a right to know. On the other hand, I’m desperate for private time so I can make arrangements for Saturday night’s dinner, and my planned proposal.

This weekend marks six months since our first official meeting, and I just cannot wait any longer. It still doesn’t seem quite right to ask a twenty-year old goddess to commit herself to me and to the Underworld for the rest of eternity, but the uncertainty is like torture for me. 

I want to belong to Persephone, publicly and officially. I want her to be mine. I want her to be queen, and I want her legal status resolved. I don’t want Demeter or anyone else to have any claim on her.

I’m planning a private, catered dinner for us, up in the hills outside the city. There’s a fantastic spot there with an amazing view. It’s been a private retreat of mine for centuries, and I want to share it with my beloved. I’m arranging for a pavilion, with candles, live music, and flowers. And a display of fireworks, if she says yes.

To get all this done, I shamelessly dragoon anyone available. I give Epimelis a long list of phone calls and tasks, I have Hecate running interference, I enlist Eros and Psyche to keep Persephone busy on a couple of occasions, and I arrange for security to be sure nothing interrupts us Saturday night.

I take Eros with me to visit the restaurant which is catering our dinner. The chef prepared a tasting menu with options, and we sit together while a stream of tiny dishes are brought out for appraisal. 

“This is amazing,” Eros says. “Feel free to invite me for a lunch like this anytime!”

I laugh. “There are restaurants that do this sort of thing on a regular basis, you know.”

“So I hear, but not all of us are filthy rich.”

I shrug, deflecting this. “What do you think of this soup?” 

“It’s terrific, but the first one was even better, don’t you think?”

“No, I agree. Persephone will like it.” I make a note of it.

“So what does she think about all this?”

“About what? Me sneaking around all week? I’m trying very hard not to be obvious about it.”

“Yeah, how’d you manage to ditch her for lunch?”

“It’s her regular date with Hera and Amphitrite,” I explain. “They’re doing that every week now.”

“Wow! So they just accept her?”

“Seems like it. I gather there’s a certain amount of residual irritation on Hera’s part, but Persephone can handle it.”

“Oh, yeah. When I last spoke to Gran, I thought she was besotted with Grandpa again, but kinda pissed off by people messing with her life.”

I nod. His assessment matches mine. “What do you think of these dumplings?”

“You have to get those! They’re fantastic with that cheese thing.”

“So in your recent experience of doing a proposal, you think the overall effect is positive?” I don’t know why I’m so nervous. I want everything to be perfect for Saturday, but surely Persephone isn’t going to be overly critical. I have to believe she wants me the way I want her.

“Sure, man. I mean, just going to all this effort is impressive. You’re really shooting the works here. Gonna make the rest of us look bad.”

Given what I heard about _his_ proposal, I rather doubt that. “Was Psyche surprised, when you asked?”

“No, not at all. She was pleased, though.”

I’m a little taken aback by his tone. “Aren’t proposals supposed to be a surprise?”

Eros leans sharply away from me and regards me with a look of extreme suspicion. “The proposal itself, sure. The idea of marriage, not so much. Usually people discuss that for a while.”

“Oh. Of course, that’s what I meant.” Shit. Have I screwed this up, already?

***

When Persephone returns in the afternoon, she comes up my office stairs to find me staring out the window, lost in thought. I turn to see her, trying and failing to compose my expression. 

She stops short, looking concerned. "Oh, Smush, you look so worried! Why are you making that face?" 

“Sorry. Just thinking about things.” 

Persephone tilts her head and approaches me, holding her arms out. I lead her over to the couch, where we sit down together.

She kisses between my brows and all over my forehead, her hands running through my hair. I close my eyes and luxuriate in her touch. Impulsively, I rub my face against her breasts, and she chuckles. She doesn't seem to mind. 

“Is that any better?” she asks.

“Yes. What about you? You’re under a lot of stress, too.”

Persephone shrugs, her warm eyes on me, making me melt. She swings her legs up and over my lap, snuggling in under my arm. "I'm okay. Just concerned for you."

"I really do feel better, just being near you."

She smiles and traces my jaw with gentle fingers. "Me, too."

Her eyes are so clear and lovely, full of something I have to call purity, that has absolutely nothing to do with the delightfully immodest things that she’s willing to do with me. In fact, somehow, her inner grace illuminates the dark, lusty corners of our dalliance, elevates it to something fine and right and good.

I lay my head on my lovely goddess’s shoulder and let her soothe me with kisses and pets.

***

By the time Friday evening rolls around, I feel like I’ve earned the weekend. I’m giddy with excitement about my plans, and doing my best not to give away the surprise. Persephone wants to stay in, so we order takeout, watch a cute but forgettable movie, and go to bed early. By _far_ the best part of my day.

I’ve been gradually trying to lead Persephone into taking more time during sex and not being in such a rush to orgasm. She’s quite capable of coming multiple times, which is deeply gratifying for both of us, but I also think she could enjoy a deeper pleasure by holding off and allowing a slower buildup. It’s been a difficult job convincing her of this, because she’s just so damn sexy that she gets me going, too. Plus she’s very good at getting her way when she wants it.

Tonight, we’ve both had a bit of wine, and we’re very relaxed. She’s lying on her side in bed, with me behind her, moving slowly deep inside her. I’m trying to keep her entertained with talking and massage so she doesn’t take the bit in her teeth, or decide that I’m teasing her. The truth is I adore teasing her, because her hunger inflames me, but that’s not my goal for tonight.

Our current position restricts me to a shallow penetration, and is probably not giving Persephone much of the pressure she likes. I wrap my arm around her and pull her with me as I roll onto my back, but freeze in shock when I realize that I placed my hand right at the base of her neck.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that!”

“Don’t stop, please!” Persephone grabs my hand, and pushes it back into its former place, lightly resting against her throat. The sound of desperation in her voice does something to me. I want very much to give her what she wants.

“All right,” I murmur. “Just lightly, though.”

I rock inside her, keeping my hand in position, letting my other hand rest on her belly. Persephone squirms in my arms, whimpering, her sheath quivering around me. She’s reacting quite profoundly to this new element and I’m intrigued.

“It’s really getting you going, isn’t it?”

She’s sprawled on top of me, one hand still over mine, keeping it in place on her throat, the other gripping my shoulder. “ _Yes._ Don't stop." 

"I won't. But tell me why you like it.” 

She pauses, breathing slowly, gathering her thoughts. I move in tiny increments, just enough stimulation to keep both of us hot for more. “I… I feel helpless, and--I don’t know. Softened. Connected. Almost powerful, in a weird way. I feel... like I'm flying.”

“That’s because you are.”

“What?” Persephone's eyes open wide and she looks around wildly. When she realizes that we're floating off the bed her control falters, and her weight drops onto me. I'm ready for this, and support her with no trouble.

"Easy, Sweetness. I've got you." I let the two of us float gently down to the bed, settling like a feather in the breeze. 

"Oh…" Persephone moans, writhing. "Big, sexy king-man. You made me fly and I didn't even know it!" 

I grin. Her eyes are half-closed, and her skin is deeply flushed. I need to slow her down again. "What else can I do to please you, my little goddess?" I stroke her thigh with my free hand, making a suggestion.

Persephone has her own ideas. “I want to be… restrained. Please.”

I freeze for a moment, stunned by this request. "Restrained, how?”

“Um… hold my wrists?” She offers them up to me, her palms pressed together, like a supplicant. 

I’m desperate to do this. Both to fulfill her request because she wants it, because it will make her happy--and because I want it, too. The urge to dominate her, just a little, to play this game of power exchange, is like fire in my veins. “Tell me your safeword,” I breathe. 

She meets my eyes. “Trust,” she whispers.

“Do you want to stop?”

“No!”

“Tell me again what you do want. Be specific.”

Her eyes drift closed, then open again, as she struggles to maintain control. “I want you to put your hand on my throat. And hold my wrists. I want you to be in charge, and tell me what to do.”

We’re doing this all wrong, changing the dynamic in the middle of play. But Persephone is being completely clear on what she wants. I can give her that, if she doesn’t ask for too much more.

“All right." I take her wrists in my free hand and lift her arms up, over her head and a little behind. This posture makes her arch slightly, her breasts jutting out and jiggling in time with the small, controlled thrusts I'm making inside her. "How do you feel now, Sweetness?”

She pants a little, and struggles to open her eyes. “I feel free.”

“Free, huh?” I smile. “Try to pull away.”

She tugs hard and twists, trying to pull her hands free. Then she smiles sweetly and undulates for me. “I can’t,” she says, her voice all low and sultry.

“And yet you feel free?”

“Yes. I made one decision, and now I don’t have to make any for a while. I feel light and calm.”

“That’s lovely, actually." I'm enchanted with her words. "The contradiction, the tension between balanced opposites." I wish I had a third hand that I could use to stroke her. Of course, I could tie her hands, but that isn't what she asked for. Perhaps another time.

Persephone nods. “I'm yours to do with as you will… but also, I’m in charge here, right?”

“Yes, you are. Completely. You’ve temporarily delegated me to tell you what to do, but ending this scenario is totally in your hands. Do you want me to stop?”

“No, I don’t.”

“All right.” 

I tighten my hand for just a moment, and then release her throat, slowly trailing downwards. Between her breasts, pausing to tweak a nipple, over her belly. I draw circles around her navel, slow, teasing. Then I walk my hand back up, resting it again on her neck.

Persephone’s eyes widen. “You’re not going to let me come?”

“Of _course_ I will, Sweetness,” I purr. “When I’m good and ready.”

I smile, letting my teeth show, and she pouts in response. Then she tightens her inner muscles around me, gripping her sheath around my cock with everything she’s got. I’m prepared for this.

“Mm-hmm. You didn’t ask permission, but you can do that as much as you like, little goddess. Knock yourself out.”

She makes a little huff of exasperation and squirms, seeking to make me give her the stimulation she craves. I can see her frustration, but I’ve got her just where I want her.

“Tell me why you’re in such a hurry,” I say. “I want to understand your impatience.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“I mean, for you, sex is often a bit of a rush. You don’t like it when I slow things down.”

I pause in my thrusting, drawing back slightly, raising my eyebrows. She bites her lip and flushes, then starts to speak. “I told you how I had nymphs around all the time?”

“Yes?”

“There was no privacy for me at all. I had to learn to be quick.”

Well, _that’s_ an interesting picture. “Tell me more.” I move a little more intensely inside her, giving her a reward. She blushes even deeper and looks away in embarrassment. “No, look in my eyes and tell me.” I squeeze her wrists, reminding her of the submission she has given to me tonight.

“When I couldn’t stand it anymore, I’d wait for the nymphs to go to sleep and then I’d sneak off and masturbate,” she blurts.

“More detail,” I insist. I give her one deep thrust, and she gasps. She’s incredibly wet and hot. I’m starting to struggle a bit, to maintain my control.

“I… I’d sneak off as if I needed to find some bushes, you know… and I would lie down in the grass and look at the stars and touch myself.”

“How would you touch yourself, Sweetness?”

Her eyes close for a moment before she remembers, then she meets my gaze again. “I would use a finger inside, sometimes two… and go at it really fast.”

“Was that enough to get you off?”

“No. But it would get me worked up.” Her breathing is getting faster from talking about this. I watch her nostrils flare, and the flush spread down her neck. “And then I would rub my clit lightly, with my middle finger. From side to side.” 

I nod. I’m familiar with this pattern. “And that’s all it took?”

“Usually. Sometimes I would fantasize, too.”

“Oh, really?” Now we’re getting somewhere. 

“I can’t really tell you about what. I didn’t have enough experience, or enough boldness, to know what I wanted. I just knew I wanted to be touched, and, and, understood, and valued, and _filled.”_

Her voice is full of her plea, and her body is completely soft and compliant. She just _yields_ to me, completely, and I'm lost. Any sense of restraint I might have had is gone.

I fill her, all right. I fill her with deep, intense thrusts that jolt her whole body, making her slide against me and cry out. It’s deliciously, wickedly stimulating and agonizingly sweet, at the same time. Her wails ring in my ears and her eyes are locked on mine. She doesn’t look away even when she starts to come, her supple body clutching me hard, provoking me so intensely that I lose control, too. I yell with her, holding her tight to me, our bodies rocking together and merging into one.

After a few moments of panting, I release her hands and her neck, begin stroking her lightly, everywhere I can reach. I want to make sure she’s okay after that. Her expression is rather blitzed. She’s dewy with sweat, still breathing hard, and smiling.

“That was good for you?” I venture.

“That was _incredible._ It was exactly what I needed. I had no idea!”

“I’m very glad. You scared me a little, changing the rules like that.”

“Really? I know the book says you’re supposed to discuss things like this in advance, but it didn’t seem like that big a deal. Not like there were ropes and paddles involved, or something like that.” She grins wickedly at me, and I try not to think of her in ropes. “Besides, I trust you.”

I release her from my arms and back away immediately, making a little space between us. 

“What’s wrong?” Persephone protests, reaching out for me.

“You used your safeword.”

She groans and rolls her eyes, moving over to snuggle up to me again. “Now, wait a minute! Doesn’t context matter? We weren’t doing anything, and the word made sense in what I was saying. I need to be able to use it as just a word, or we can’t talk about trust.”

“Maybe you should choose another one, then. There shouldn’t be any ambiguity.”

She sighs, her expression exasperated. “I don’t want a different one. I like _trust._ I _do_ trust you, and you’re proving my point, by being so careful about it that you obey it even when it doesn’t make sense.”

I have to pause and think that over. My instincts here are to be extremely cautious; I very much want Persephone to feel safe and in control at all times. Is it possible I could offend her through overprotection? She doesn’t like the way her mother treats her, and I don’t want to be in that category. “Maybe you’re right that I overplayed that. I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay. We’re still figuring this out, right?”

“Right.” I nuzzle her neck and fold my arms around her. I’m astonished to have discovered yet another level of delight in Persephone. She can’t really be this wonderful. How can any one person be this amazing? At the same time, I do feel guilty. I should have been more careful with my hand when moving her. This sort of thing shouldn’t have happened without the pre-negotiation, as Persephone mentioned.

She relaxes in my arms, warm and soft in the particular way she gets after sex. She’s dozing already, dropping right to sleep, a look of satisfaction on her sweet face. I inhale the scent of her skin and smile to myself, marveling at my luck. By this time tomorrow, if all goes well, we’ll be engaged. I wonder how soon we can possibly schedule the wedding.

***

Saturday morning I wake up early and go downstairs, so as not to disturb Persephone with my restless energy. I run through my checklist one last time, thinking through all the things I need to get done today. Psyche is helping me by inviting Persephone to come to Olympus for lunch and shopping. The excuse is getting started on planning Eros and Psyche’s wedding, and I imagine that they really will do that. It makes me smile, thinking that next week, we will be discussing plans for _our_ wedding.

I hope so, anyway. I take a deep breath, shoving down the pessimistic inner voices that clamor to be heard. Not productive. Not even realistic. Much as I have doubts about the fairness of asking Persephone to marry me, I don't really have much question about her answer.

When I hear Persephone coming down, I tuck my lists away for later. I’m surprised to see that she’s already dressed for going out.

“Oh, good morning,” she says, looking faintly surprised to see me. “I thought I heard you go out.”

“I took the dogs out for a run a while ago.” Is she disappointed to find me here? “Are you leaving so soon?” I had thought she wasn’t going out until lunch time.

Persephone nods. “I got a text from Psyche, she wants to show me something. So I figured I’d have breakfast and get going.”

“Oh, okay.” This works very well for my plans, making sure that everything is set for tonight. However, I can’t help feeling oddly disappointed that Persephone is eager to go out without me. Which is stupid on so many levels.

I sit down with her and have a pleasant chat while she eats, and offer to clean up afterward. Persephone goes to fetch her purse and shoes and comes back to say goodbye. She presses up against me and kisses me sweetly. 

“You have things to do today, too, Smush?”

I smile. “Sure, I’ve got a bunch of errands. You want to take a car, I assume.”

“That would be nice, but I could take a service.”

“Don’t be silly. Take any one you want, but the convertible needs its suspension checked, so maybe not that.”

“Okay.” She kisses me again, lingeringly, and I let my fingers comb through her hair. 

After I see Persephone off, I double-check that I have all my lists and notes in order, then head out myself. I have a lot to get done before tonight.

***

After meeting with the caterer and the fireworks designer, and then picking up my suit from the tailor, I’m climbing into the car when my phone buzzes yet again. I answer it without checking the caller ID. “Yes?”

“Hades?” It’s Psyche’s voice. “Is Persephone unwell?”

“No, what are you talking about?”

“She is late for lunch and not answering her phone. I am a little concerned,” she replies.

I feel a sharp edge of panic gripping me. “What do you mean, late for lunch? She left early, she said you texted and wanted to show her something!”

“I did not text her today, except just now when I arrived at the restaurant.” Psyche sounds worried. “I will ask around. Perhaps someone has seen her.”

This is completely unlike Persephone. She’s almost always on time, and calls ahead if she has to be late. I’m chilled with fear. “Where are you? I’m coming to Olympus.”

I consider stopping the car and transferring, but I tell myself I’m being ridiculous. Instead I start driving as fast as possible. The ride to Olympus should only take twenty minutes on a weekend. On the way, I call Persephone multiple times, each time getting voicemail. Maybe something’s wrong with her phone. Maybe she stopped in a Pomegranate store to get it fixed. There’s probably a simple explanation for this and when I show up in a panic she’ll be all astonished and make fun of me. I hope that’s what will happen. I’ll take her teasing, any day, over the terror I feel now.

I make the trip in record time and even find a convenient parking space, screeching to a stop near where I spotted Psyche on the sidewalk. She’s on her phone, tapping energetically, but she puts it away when she sees me approaching.

“Any news?” I ask.

“No, nothing. She does not answer my texts or calls. I was going to start walking up the street and looking in shops.”

We’re on the main shopping street of Olympus, a place packed with high-end retailers. There’s a fair amount of places to check. “All right, let’s do that.”

“If she went out early, perhaps she is doing some shopping and lost track of time. She might have run into a friend, too.” We walk down the street together, peering into shop windows. Psyche’s unrelenting optimism soothes me slightly. She’s right that most likely nothing is wrong. Probably just something weird came up. I call Persephone’s phone once more. It rings multiple times, then goes to voicemail, just as before. We’re coming to the main square, and I spot the car that Persephone took this morning. Empty. My fear rises up, threatening to take control.

“I have visited that café with her before. We should check if she is there.” Psyche is pointing to a busy coffee shop.

“Okay,” I say. I’ll try this. If it doesn’t work, I’m calling Hecate and the Furies and my brothers and anyone else I can think of.

We step into the coffee shop, and I look around at the patrons, not seeing any petite pink goddesses. Psyche takes the lead with questioning. She marches over to the counter, skipping the line, and speaks to a barista.

"Excuse me, have you seen this goddess?" she says to a nymph behind the counter, showing a picture on her phone. "She might have been here sometime this morning?"

The nymph looks, and starts to shake her head, then looks again. "Oh, yeah, I think she was here. Hey, Nik, is this the girl who left her stuff behind?"

She waves over another employee, a stocky gray satyr. He looks at Psyche's phone and reacts immediately. "Uh huh, that's her. Are you friends of hers?"

"Yes!" I say. "Do you know where she went? Or when?"

"Naw, sorry. She left when I was in back, and when I went to clean tables I saw her bags were still here, and a note."

“A note?” My heart is hammering and my ears are roaring.

“Yeah, I’ll go get it.”

He goes in back and Psyche turns back to the nymph. “How long was she here?”

“I dunno, maybe twenty minutes? We were super busy at that point. I think she had tea with someone else.”

“Who? Would you recognize that person?” I demand.

The nymph flinches back, frightened by my intensity. I have to calm down, or I’ll alienate the people who might be able to help. Psyche pats her arm. 

“We are worried for our friend. She is never late, and we do not know where she is. Please, can you remember anything?”

“Oh, well… I think it was another woman. Sorry, that’s all I got.” She shrugs and goes back to making drinks.

The satyr comes back. "Here's the stuff she left." 

He hands me Persephone's purse, and a shopping bag with a shoebox in it. I look at Psyche in bewilderment. I'm shocked and cold, starting to shiver. I try to ask a question but my mouth won't work.

"Where is the note you mentioned?" Psyche asks.

"Oh! I put it in the bag. Musta slipped down."

Psyche reaches into the shopping bag and fishes out a slip of paper. The satyr nods, and then goes to attend to his customers. Psyche looks at the paper for a moment before handing it to me. I take it in my suddenly stiff, clumsy fingers. It's a plain sheet of paper, torn from a notebook and folded in half. My name is written on the outside, in Persephone's writing. My hand is shaking, but I manage somehow to open it. Inside, it reads: 

_I’m sorry, I can’t do this anymore. I_ _trust_ _you will understand._

**Author's Note:**

> Beta by awesome Red!


End file.
